For a long time, development boards have been primarily based on ARM architecture processors.

However, these processors are typically designed for mobile scenarios, which can result in performance bottlenecks when running desktop operating systems or large-scale applications. Furthermore, certain software can only run in a Windows environment, such as specific CNC machine software or automotive diagnostic software, among others. Although there are some development boards on the market that utilize X86 architecture processors, such as Lattepanda and UDOO, these boards either have outdated processors or come at a high cost, making them unsuitable for large-scale project development.

However, if you require a more powerful and cost-effective development board, you might consider the youyeetoo X1 development board offered by youyeetoo Technology. This board features an Intel N5105 quad-core processor and offers native support for multiple USB ports, serial ports, I2C, SPI, and triple-display capability (two HDMI ports and one MIPI DSI). It is compatible with Windows 10/11 and various Linux distributions, and comes with a starting price as low as $109.9, making it indeed an appealing option.

Photos of the youyeetoo X1 development board are shown below

Front side of the packaging box

Back side of the packaging box

The package includes one mainboard and one 12V 3A power adapter

The primary hardware configurations:

CPU:	Intel® Celeron 11'th Gen Jasper Lake N5105  (CPU Frequency: 2.0~2.9GHz，Quad-core 10nm TDP 10W)
GPU:	Intel®UHD Core Graphics(Frequency:450 - 800MHz)
Memory:	Onboard 4GB / 8GB /16GB LPDDR4 (optional) recommend 8GB
storage:	eMMC(V5.1): 0/64G/128G/256G optional
	M.2 Slots ：NVMe 2280 SSD(PCIE3.0) or M.2 SATA 2280 SSD (Support PCle Gen 3.0 x4 lanes NVMe 1.4，compatible with PCle Gen 3.0 x2 NVME)
	SATA FPC Slots：SATA3 hard disk can be expanded through SATA adapter board （need SATA adapter board）
	Micro SD(TF) : Supports common SD cards to Extended storage
network：	Ethernet：RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet *1
	Wireless：WIFI5+BT5.0 / WIFI6+BT5.2 Expansion via M.2 slot, optional
	4G LTE: M.2 E-key slot expansion,4G data module such as the EC20 /EC25 （need 4G adapter board）
Display （Multi screen）	HDMI：HDMI2.0 4K/60Hz
	Micro HDMI：HDMI2.0 4K/60Hz
	MIPI FPC ：Support Youyeetoo MIPI7LCD(1024*600 ) LCD module Multi TOUCH
USB	USB-A ：USB2.0 *2
	USB-A ：USB3.0 *2
	USB Pin: USB2.0 *2
Audio Output	3.5 Headphone jack(4line)，headset with MIC
	SPK XH2.0 PIN：Onboard 3W power amplifier, matching 8 ohm speakers
	HDMI Audio Output（Audio can be output to TV via HDMI）
Audio Iutput	Onboard digital microphone MIC: with noise reduction function(default)
	Analog MIC: SH0.8mm 2PIN, 3.3V connected to analog microphone head(Switch MIC Input,needs to replace BIOS)
M.2 Socket	M.2 M Key：NVME SSD/M.2 SATA SSD (M-key) 2280
	M.2 E Key：WIFI5+BT5.0 / WIFI6+BT5.2 Module 2230 or 4G adapter board to support 4G LTE module (E-key)
UART	UART TTL *3 serial port ，Connect RS232 or RS485 / CAN modules can also be use
I2C	IIC *1 XH2.0 4PIN，Provide windows/linux operation example tutorial Default 3.3V
SPI	SPI *1 XH2.0 5PIN，Provide windows/linux operation example tutorial Default 3.3V
GPIO	GPIO *5 XH2.0 6PIN，Provide windows/linux operation example tutorial Default 3.3V
LED light	Onboard LED *2，Parallel 4PIN pin lead, Default 3.3V （default:red flashes and green off） (Provide a tutorial API interface to control the on-off or heartbeat flickering)
key	Power key *1 Reset key *1(restore BIOS setting)
RTC	RTC battery Seat : SH1.25 2PIN, CR2032 button battery or other 3.3V battery RTC consumes about 35mAh per year
Auto Power-on	Turn on X1 without pressing the power button(can be set in BIOS)
Power	12V DC socket: Recommended power adapter 12V3A,or XH2.54 2PIN Power socket
Dimension	115*75mm
Heat sink	FAN seat specification:SH1.0 4PIN Default heatsink fan 5V/0.2A power Consumption
Multi OS	Windows 10/11 Linux ubuntu / Linux Debian
NFC	NFC device,data transmission with mobile phones/Card Reader，Compatible with android/IOS phones , youyeetoo.com provides examples
Intel watchdog	Standard windows API support
CPU temperature	Standard windows API support
Fan speed	Standard windows API support Fan speed regulation
POE	Support AC/BT protocol 30W POE module, 60W support can be customized（Need POE module）

Currently, the prices are as follows: The base configuration with 4GB RAM and no EMMC storage is priced at $109.9. The 4GB RAM with 64GB EMMC storage variant is priced at $119.99. The 8GB RAM with 128GB EMMC storage version is priced at $139.99. The highest configuration with 16GB RAM and 256GB EMMC storage is priced at $219.

 

These products are available for sale on youyeetoo mall, Amazon, Aliexpress, Alibaba.

Purchase link: https://forum.youyeetoo.com/t/youyeetooo-x1-how-to-purchase/339

 

In hardware comparison with mainstream development boards on the market, its advantages are as follows:

 

• Featuring an 11th-generation Intel CPU, it achieves a robust performance of around 260,000 on the PassMark benchmark, offering excellent stability
• It can run both Windows and Linux operating systems, which is a capability not supported by ARM-based development boards
• With a variety of interfaces including 3 UART ports, 2 HDMI ports, 6 USB ports, 1 I2C interface, 1 SPI interface, and 5 GPIO pins, these interfaces can be directly accessed using Windows/Linux APIs without the need for an intermediary MCU
• The WiFi/BT module supports external antennas and is detachable, allowing for potential upgrades to higher-performance modules, provided that the drivers are compatible. Currently, most module manufacturers offer stable Windows drivers
• It features a customized heat dissipation module, delivering efficient cooling
• It is competitively priced

 

Operating System:

 

youyeetoo Technology provides continuous maintenance for two operating systems on the youyeetoo X1:

 

Windows System: Currently supported up to Windows 11. 
You can find the download link and installation instructions at https://wiki.youyeetoo.com/x1/windows/install-system

Linux Distributions: Currently supported up to Ubuntu 22.04.
You can find the download link and installation instructions at https://wiki.youyeetoo.com/x1/linux/install-system

Power-on experience:

 

The board that was received is equipped with 8GB DDR RAM and 128GB EMMC storage, with Windows 10 pre-installed on the EMMC. When powered on, it automatically boots up. During the initial boot, there is a setup guide, and afterward, it proceeds directly to the Windows 10 desktop.

After entering the system, you can open the Settings menu and access the System Information section. Here, you can observe that the processor model and memory capacity are both correctly recognized.

Performance testing:

 

For this cross-platform performance comparison, we use Geekbench 6 as our performance testing tool to conduct a horizontal comparison of the performance of the N5105 processor with some mainstream hardware controllers available in the market.

 

The method for downloading and installing Geekbench 6 is relatively straightforward. Simply download the .exe file from the official website and proceed with the installation. After installation, you can select the CPU performance test.

 

The test results as follows:

Below are some Geekbench 6 benchmark scores for mainstream System-on-Chip (SOC) processors available on the market.

 

SOC	Single-core Score	Multi-core Score
intel N5105	443	1386
intel J4105	360	1100
rockchip RK3399	287	688
rockchip RK3568	220	600
rockchip RK3588	738	2274
Apple A10	830	1300
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855	800	2500
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835	400	1340

In terms of benchmark scores, the performance of the N5105 can be compared to Apple's A10 processor, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835, the previous flagship RK3399, and the current flagship RK3588 in the Rockchip platform. It also shows improvement over Intel's previous-generation J4105, which targets a similar market segment.

However, it's worth noting that the N5105 is a processor from the first quarter of 2021, and Intel's 10nm manufacturing process lags behind the 7nm and 5nm processes available in the current market. To manage heat generation, it cannot run at higher frequencies, which is considered normal given these constraints.

Conclusion:

In summary, the most significant highlight of the youyeetoo X1 is its exceptional cost-effectiveness in the current market for an X86 development board. If your project specifically requires the use of the Windows operating system or an X86 processor, demands a certain level of performance, and aims to control costs effectively, then using the youyeetoo X1 is undeniably an excellent choice. Additionally, compared to traditional industrial control boards, the youyeetoo X1 has a relatively compact form factor and a more straightforward structural design.

If your project requires in-depth customization of the operating system, then a combination of ARM architecture with the Android system would be a suitable choice, such as the YY3568 development board or the forthcoming RK3588 development board. These two development boards also offer high cost-effectiveness. In contrast, the youyeetoo X1 uses X86 architecture and comes with standard Windows and Linux systems pre-installed, which makes it less convenient for extensive customization. However, if you indeed have driver development requirements for Windows or Linux, youyeetoo Technology provides abundant tutorials for operating the hardware interfaces on the board, even though developing Windows drivers may be somewhat more challenging compared to Android driver development.

Nevertheless, if you are already familiar with the X86 development environment and are part of the Wintel ecosystem, then the youyeetoo X1 will be an excellent choice for you. It offers seamless switching, cost-effectiveness, a compact form factor, and rapid product deployment.